Protection device against projectile-forming charges

ABSTRACT

A protective device is provided that includes material strips made of at least two different materials, wherein the thickness of the strips is considerably larger than the height and the height of the strips is at least half as large as the calibre of the explosively formed projectile and both materials have considerably different strengths. The alignment of the sandwich composition is such that the material layers arranged on top of each other face the impact direction. Thus, a projectile designed in the direction of the protective structure shears off and no longer slide through the protection in a straight manner.

This nonprovisional application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2010/005302, which was filed on Aug. 28, 2010, and which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2009 040 305.1, which was filed in Germany on Sep. 5, 2009, and which are both herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a protection device for protection against projectiles, munitions and other forms of shot.

2. Description of the Background Art

A multiplicity of lightweight and medium-weight armored vehicles are used during the course of out-of-area operations. The armor on these vehicles must in this case be able to withstand different threats, and must nevertheless be as light as possible. Armor systems which are also used on relatively small vehicles are preferred. A pure solution of protection by armor steel is not compatible, from the system point of view, for all vehicles. Armor steel is itself too heavy, as a result of which a pure armor steel solution is impossible, within permissible vehicle weights.

Various other protection solutions are based on a combination of different substances, in particular using fiber composites based on aromatic polyamides (aramide) or polyethylene (dyneema). However, in comparison to armor steels, these have a low volume efficiency, leading to permissible or desired vehicle widths being exceeded.

The various threats also include EFP—Explosively Formed Projectiles. EFP are among the penetration IEDs and in general impact on the side of the vehicle. A distinction is drawn between monoslug EFP, which form a single projectile, and multislug EFP, which produce a plurality of projectiles by fragmentation of the warhead lining. In this case, distinction is also drawn between parallel multislug, in which a plurality of projectiles impact on different vehicle points at the same time, and serial multislug, in which the same point is hit repeatedly, successively. Because of their mass and velocity, EFP frequently penetrate through conventional armor systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide system-compatible protection in particular of lightweight vehicles, such as wheeled vehicles which forms adequate protection in particular against EFP.

The invention is based on the idea of providing an arrangement of strips composed of different substances, at least two different substances, with the thickness/depth of the (individual) strips being considerably greater than the height, and with the height of the strips preferably being half as great as the caliber of the EFP flying projectile. The strips, which are located alongside one another, should have substances with considerably different strengths. The distance (formed by the softer strips) between the two harder strips should in contrast be less than the caliber. However, the harder strips need not in this case have the same material. This sandwich structure is aligned such that the substance layers face the effect direction, located one above the other. This means that, when a projectile which has been formed in the direction of the protection structure impacts on the protection structure, it penetrates deeper into the softer substances than into the harder substances located alongside them, because of the different substances, and thus breaks off and can therefore no longer actually pass through the protection.

Because of the sandwich structure with different substances located alongside one another and on one another, the penetration speed of the flying projectile into the strips composed of a substance with different strengths is different, causing the projectile to break up, and considerably reducing its effectiveness (penetration performance). A protection structure is thus formed, which has a high (adequate) volume and mass efficiency.

Steel and aluminum, ceramic (such as SiC, Al2O3, B4C) and aluminum, steel and plastic (polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide) or ceramic and plastic, or steel, aluminum and ceramic etc. are feasible as substance combinations with one another.

The starting point is that the projectile impacts on at least two substances of different materials, so that the projectile enters through the softer substance quickly, while the harder substance slows the projectile down, and the projectile is stopped via the penetration depth or the depth of the protection. The projectile is held in place and offers an obstruction in its own right against possible subsequent projectiles.

The penetration performance into the ballistically effective substances is considerably reduced in particular by the mechanism of the projectile breaking up, thus resulting in a greater mass and volume efficiency in comparison to armor steel or other protection structures.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawing which is given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein the single FIGURE illustrates a protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The single FIGURE shows the structure of a protection arrangement or protection device 10, with 1 denoting a first strip 1 of a substance A, and item 2 denoting a second strip of a substance B (lower part of the illustration in the FIGURE). The depth of the strips is annotated -t-, and the respective height of the strips 1, 2 is annotated -h-. The bombardment direction is in this case indicated by the arrow BR, pointing from right to left.

The depth and the height of the strips should be chosen to match the respectively prevailing threat. In the case of a projectile 5 with a caliber of 30 mm, the depth of the protection structure should be about 30 mm to 50 mm, and the height (thickness) should, for example, be 15 mm. The thickness of the individual strips can be chosen on the on basis of the requirement, but should preferably be the same, for simple production of the production structure 10.

Structures composed of substances A, B, C, D etc., (strips 3, 4) are likewise possible (upper part of the illustration in the FIGURE).

When the projectile 5 which has been formed strikes the protection arrangement 10, it will slide more quickly through the softer substance (A, B, C) than through the harder substance. The projectile 5 which is formed is broken up and deflected in its penetration direction, and is held in the protection structure 10.

The concept can also be applied against medium-caliber projectiles, since a protection arrangement 10 such as this can be used, for example, as protection level four (4), without greater complexity.

The invention furthermore provides for the protection device 1 to be fitted movably, rather than rigidly. Particularly in the case of moving objects, this has the advantage that the protection device can change its position with respect to the vehicle, and therefore subsequent projectiles 5, by its own acceleration or various other movement changes.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A protection device for protection of an object, the protection device comprising a sandwich structure formed of different substances, an the alignment of the sandwich structure thereby forming substance layers being arranged such that the substance layers face an effect direction located alongside one another or one above the other, with a projectile impacting on at least two substances of different materials such that a portion of the projectile penetrates quickly through one material, while another portion of the projectile penetrates more slowly in the other material.
 2. The protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the substance strips is considerably greater than a height, and wherein the height of the strips is at least half as great as the caliber of the EFP flying projectile.
 3. The protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substances have considerably different strengths.
 4. The protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substance layers include combinations of steel, aluminum, ceramic, silicon carbide or aluminum oxide and plastic, polyethylene, polypropylene or polyamide, thus forming two layers or a plurality of layers of different materials. 